Cambridge Checkpoints is the study guide a lot of VCE, HSC and QCE students buy every year: official past exam questions sorted by topic, with suggested responses and short study notes. It is a good book. But for the subjects AusGrader covers, everything in it (past questions by topic, worked answers, marking criteria, study notes) is available on AusGrader for free. And AusGrader does one thing a book cannot: it marks your own answer.
Disclosure: this post is written by AusGrader. We have done our best to represent Cambridge Checkpoints accurately and fairly, using publicly listed product details at the time of writing. If anything is out of date, please reach out and we will correct it promptly.
1. The Short Answer
A Checkpoints guide costs around $28 to $35 per subject at the time of writing, depending on whether you buy print, digital or both. Most students doing five or six subjects are looking at well over $150 if they buy one for each. What you get is a curated set of real past exam questions from your board, grouped by topic, with suggested responses so you can check your work.
AusGrader gives you the same kind of material, for every subject we cover, at no cost. Real past exam questions from VCAA, NESA, QCAA and SCSA, filterable by topic, with sample answers and the official marking criteria attached to each one. You do not pay to read a question, see the answer or see how marks are awarded.
The real difference is not the questions. It is what happens after you write your answer. With a book, you compare your answer to the suggested response and guess what mark you would have got. AusGrader's AI grading is already live and marks your answer, typed or handwritten, against the official marking criteria. Self-marking is also coming soon for students who prefer to tick off the criteria themselves.
2. At a Glance
| Cambridge Checkpoints | AusGrader | |
|---|---|---|
| Content | Official past exam questions by topic, suggested responses, study notes | Official past exam questions by topic, sample answers, marking criteria, study guides |
| Boards covered | VCE, HSC, QCE (we could not find a WACE series) | VCE, HSC, QCE, WACE (SACE coverage is limited) |
| Subjects | Most major subjects, including English and Maths | Sciences, Maths, Business, Humanities and PE in VCE, QCE and WACE. HSC is Biology, Chemistry and Physics today, expanding to Maths, English, HSIE and PDHPE. English for VCE, HSC and WACE arrives in 2027 |
| Past questions by topic | Yes, one book per subject | Yes, free, every subject in one place |
| Worked or sample answers | Yes | Yes, free |
| Marking criteria | Varies by title | Yes, the official criteria on each question, free |
| Marks your own answer | No (you compare against the suggested response) | Yes, AI grading now; self-marking coming soon |
| Handwritten answers | You write in the book or on paper | Photograph and upload for marking |
| Price | Around $28 to $35 per subject | Free for questions and answers. Unlimited grading is $100 one-time for 2026 ($50 in NSW) |
| Free option | No | Yes, including 10 AI-graded answers |
| Format | Print book and/or digital subscription | Web, iOS and Android |
3. What Checkpoints Does Well
Checkpoints has been around for a long time for a reason. It is a tidy, well-edited resource. The questions are grouped sensibly, the suggested responses are written by experienced teachers, and the study notes at the start of each chapter are a quick refresher before you start practising.
It also works on paper. Some students genuinely study better away from a screen, and a book you can scribble in, carry around and leave open on your desk is a real advantage. Many schools put Checkpoints on their booklists, so teachers often set questions from it directly.
Newer titles also come with digital extras, such as summary videos, study cards and QuizMeMore, an online question set with auto-marked or self-marked questions. These are useful additions, though they sit behind the book purchase.
4. Everything in Checkpoints, Free on AusGrader
Here is what you are paying for in a Checkpoints guide, and where to find the same thing on AusGrader without paying anything:
- Past exam questions sorted by topic. Every past-paper question on AusGrader is free to practise, and you can filter by subject and topic. Browse the VCE, HSC, QCE or WACE question banks.
- Suggested responses. Each question has a sample answer you can open after you attempt it.
- Marking criteria. The official marking criteria are shown with each question, so you can see exactly where the marks sit.
- Multiple-choice explanations. Multiple-choice questions come with an explanation of why the correct option is right.
- Study notes. Our free subject study guides cover how each subject is assessed and what the exam rewards.
- Checking your answer (QuizMeMore-style marking). AI grading is already live and marks your answer against the criteria. Self-marking is coming soon.
One honest limit: this holds for the subjects we cover today. In VCE, QCE and WACE that is most sciences, Maths, Business, Humanities and PE subjects. HSC currently has Biology, Chemistry and Physics, and we are expanding HSC to Maths, English, Social Sciences (HSIE) and PDHPE to match the other states. English for VCE, HSC and WACE is coming in 2027. Until then, a Checkpoints guide is still a reasonable buy for English.
For the extras we do not have, like summary videos, free options are easy to find. Your board also publishes past exams, marking guidelines and examiner reports free on its website.
5. What a Book Can't Do
Mark your answer. The hardest part of practising from a book is knowing what your answer was actually worth. Comparing your paragraph to a polished suggested response tells you roughly what a good answer looks like, but not which criteria you hit, which you missed, or whether you would have got 3 marks or 5. AusGrader's AI grading is already live and does exactly that. It marks your answer against the official criteria and explains where you gained and lost marks. We go into more detail in how to mark your own practice exams.
Self-marking, coming soon. Some students prefer to mark their own work so they learn the criteria inside out. Self-marking on AusGrader is coming soon, so you can tick off the criteria yourself and keep a record of your scores.
Mark your handwriting. Your exams are handwritten, so practising by hand matters. Do a question on paper, photograph it, and AusGrader marks what you actually wrote.
Track your weak topics. Analytics show which topics are costing you marks, so you know where to spend your next study session. A book cannot see your results.
Build custom tests. Pick topics and question types and build a timed practice paper in real exam format. The free plan includes 3 custom test downloads.
6. Who Should Pick Which
Buy Checkpoints if:
- You study best from a physical book, away from a screen.
- Your school has put it on your booklist and your teacher sets questions from it.
- You want the summary videos and study cards that come with newer titles.
- You need English, or an HSC subject outside Biology, Chemistry and Physics, before AusGrader covers it.
Use AusGrader if:
- You want past questions, sample answers and marking criteria without paying per subject.
- You want to know what your answer was actually worth, not just what a good answer looks like.
- You are a WACE student, or you want every subject in one place.
- You want to practise by hand and have your handwriting marked.
Or use both:
If you already own a Checkpoints guide, keep using it. Do the questions on paper, then find the same question on AusGrader, photograph your answer and get it marked. You get the book you like and the feedback the book cannot give.
FAQs
Is Cambridge Checkpoints worth it?
It is a well-made book, and worth it if you study best on paper or your school uses it. But the core content (past questions by topic, suggested answers and marking criteria) is available free on AusGrader, so you do not need to buy it to get that material.
Is AusGrader really free?
Yes for the questions, sample answers, marking criteria and study guides. AI grading is free for your first 10 answers. Unlimited grading is a $100 one-time pass for 2026 ($50 in NSW), with no auto-renewal.
Can I mark my own answers like in Checkpoints?
You can compare your answer to the sample answer and marking criteria on every question today. AI grading is already live and marks your answer for you, and a self-marking mode is coming soon.
Does AusGrader have the same questions?
Both use official past exam questions from the boards, so there is a lot of overlap for the subjects we support. HSC currently covers Biology, Chemistry and Physics, with Maths, English, HSIE and PDHPE on the way, and English for VCE, HSC and WACE arrives in 2027.
Does Checkpoints cover WACE?
We could not find a WACE Checkpoints series at the time of writing; the series covers VCE, HSC and QCE. AusGrader covers WACE with SCSA past exam questions.
See What AusGrader Looks Like in Practice
Everything you would buy a study guide for, free, plus marking on your own answers.
- Real past exam questions, free, from VCAA, NESA, QCAA and SCSA, filtered by topic.
- Sample answers and official marking criteria on every question.
- AI grading, live now, for typed and handwritten answers. Self-marking coming soon.
- Topic analytics and custom timed tests, on web, iOS and Android.
Free to start. 10 graded questions included, no credit card required.
The Bottom Line
Cambridge Checkpoints is a good study guide, and if you like learning from a book, it will serve you well. But you do not need to pay for one to get past exam questions by topic, suggested answers and marking criteria. For the subjects we cover, all of that is free on AusGrader, and coverage is growing: HSC is expanding beyond the sciences and English for VCE, HSC and WACE arrives in 2027.
What AusGrader adds is the step a book leaves to guesswork: finding out what your answer was actually worth. AI grading does that today, and self-marking is on the way. For more options, see our best VCE study tools comparison or AusGrader vs Edrolo.